This article shows how to flash Embedded Linux onto Toradex Colibri iMX7S/iMX7D modules using the legacy flashing utilities provided by Toradex images.
Note: Please try our new Toradex Easy Installer which is a Linux-based application providing a graphical selection of operating system images that users may choose to install onto the internal flash memory of Toradex modules in an extremely simple way.Warning: Colibri iMX7 Dual 1GB (eMMC) modules are not supported by the legacy update scripts. This article is not applicable! Please use the Toradex Easy Installer.

On older distros (e.g. Ubuntu 12.04) the tool to create a FAT filesystem was named mkfs.vfat while the update.sh script uses mkfs.fat.
If you get an error that mkfs.fat is missing then find the full path to mkfs.vfat and create a symlink by doing the following:

Warning: V2.7 Beta 1 release suffers a bug which does not allow to use an USB flash drive for flashing.

This prepares a SD card or USB flash drive for later use on the carrier board with the module which is to be flashed.

Download the binary image and extract it with root permissions. The binary image files are named as follows:

Starting with version 2.7.2<module-type>_<image-name>_<version>.tar.bz2 where <module_type> is one of Apalis-iMX6, Apalis-T30, Apalis-TK1, Colibri-iMX6, Colibri-iMX7, Colibri-T20, Colibri-T30, or Colibri-VF and is one of LXDE-Image or Console-Image.

Older versions<module_type>_LinuxImageVx.yz.tar.bz2 where <module_type> is one of Apalis_iMX6, Apalis_T30, Apalis_TK1, Colibri_iMX6, Colibri_iMX7, Colibri_T20, Colibri_T30 or Colibri_VF.

Note: When updating from a release prior to V2.7, after running run update a reset is required and a second update step using run setupdate && run recreate_bcb && run update will be required to upgrade the Boot Configuration Block (BCB). The update scripts will print a warning to remind you when this additional step is necessary.

Alternatively, you can use individual commands to flash only the kernel, device tree or the root file system like this:

Note: V2.6 Alpha 1, Colibri iMX7S: After flashing the environment is cleared, and the standard device tree imx7d-colibri.dtb gets loaded. Use the following commands to load the Colibri iMX7S device tree:

In case the module doesn't show any boot loader output or hangs at very early stages use the Recovery Mode to restore the module.

Enter the recovery mode by pressing the "Recovery Mode" button on the Colibri Evaluation Board while power-cycling (make sure that there is no SD-card in the SD-card slot at the time of power-cycling).

Connect the module using the USB device port and check whether your development host enumerated the module on the USB bus using lsusb: